


Past Tragedies

by aleclightbane



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Love, M/M, New School, New kids, Past Abuse, Romance, Smut, lots of fluff, maybe if i can write it worth a shit lmao, much of the fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-20 16:32:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13150581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aleclightbane/pseuds/aleclightbane
Summary: Alec Lightwood has been abused by his father for his whole life. In order to keep the whole thing quiet to spare their family the pain, his mother moves them to the town she grew up in, Idris, New York. While his siblings have recovered and are flourishing, Alec still closes himself off shyly from the world and refuses to come out of his shell. However, when him and his siblings meet the weirdest, nicest, loudest group of people in all of New York, Alec finds he wouldn't mind living a little.





	1. Prologue

**Alec's POV**

"ALEC!" Alec jolted awake as he heard his sister shout his name. It took him a second to realize where he was. The Lightwood's new house in Idris.

"Izzy, what time is it?" Alec asked through the door, and she cracked it open. She was half dressed, with her hair in curlers and an eyeliner pen in her hand. 

"It's 6:30. We're leaving in half an hour and you're driving, so you might want to get dressed. I picked you an outfit." She winked, tossing him a pair of skinny jeans and a t-shirt. 

"Izzy, I can dress myself." Alec groaned, but she just smirked at him. 

"No you can't. Don't worry, I didn't picking anything over the top. Just put it on." With that, she shut the door after her. Alec could hear her humming something off tune as she made her way down the hallway to make sure Jace was getting ready. He rolled my eyes at what his sister had picked out but pulled it on nonetheless. 

After Alec was dressed, he ran a brush through his hair to avoid Izzy's picking and grabbed his keys. Alec sighed to himself as his sleep addled brain cleared for the first time.

School and socializing had never been his strong suit. Growing up under Robert's heartless antics had hardened his heart and closed him off to everyone else. After years of wearing sweaters and jeans in the summer and not talking to anyone under the fear that Robert would hurt them too, everyone had started referring to him as the "freak" of the school. He hadn't corrected them, and pretty soon he had started believing it as well. 

Alec shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. That's not what he needed before he went to a new place with new people. He descended the stairs to hear Jace and Izzy bickering in the kitchen. 

"They're burnt!"

"Are not!" 

"You _know_ you're not supposed to be cooking!" 

"Well, someone has to because we all know you won't!" Alec walked in and raised his eyebrows. 

"Come on, we'll stop somewhere. We have to get going." Jace sighed in relief while Izzy frowned at him. He laughed at the pout on her face.

"Sorry, Iz. Maybe you can cook breakfast for us another day." He said. She accepted this and went to grab her coat. Jace and Alec shook their heads at each other and silently vowed to wake up earlier than her until they moved out. Jace laughed at their silent agreement and walked out whistling. Alec smiled despite himself and was good until...

"I call shotgun!"

"You got it last time!"

He rolled his eyes and sighed. This was going to be a long day. 

*

Alec got quieter and quieter as they neared the school. In the beginning he had chatted with his siblings and laughed along with them. Now, however, he focused intently on the road and sipped his coffee. He pretended to ignore Jace and Izzy shooting each other worried glances. 

As they finally pulled up to the surprisingly modern school, Izzy grabbed Alec's sleeve to keep him in the car. 

"Alec, are you okay?" She asked, concern evident in her every feature. Alec removed his hand off of his arm and nodded.

"I'm good, I promise. It's just a lot to take in. I..." He trailed off, and she motioned him to keep talking. 

"I just have doubts." He concluded. She looked disappointed that he hadn't elaborated, but he was too lost in his thoughts to notice. She simply nodded and looked to Jace, who smiled at Alec.

"Okay, bro. Whatever you say. We're here for you, okay? The entire time. This won't be like last time, we'll stick with you." Alec felt himself somewhat relieved that he wouldn't have to face this alone. However, he simply sipped his coffee and smiled a real smile this time. 

They all emerged from the car to walk up to the huge school. There appeared to be three stories but the school wasn't spread out very far, it looked strangely like a lumpy box. Alec smiled to himself at the thought. 

As they walked into the brightly lit school, Alec couldn't help but be a little bit amazed by the place. It had a warm glow that seemed really homey. There were teens who walked together, laughing and talking, tossing a football in a courtyard, chatting by lockers and exchanging textbooks. 

"This place seems very...happy." Jace remarked. Alec and Izzy nodded in agreement.

"It's a very happy place! That's what we aim for, Mr. Lightwood." A voice to the right said. The siblings all jumped and saw a woman, with dark red hair and green eyes. Her smile was warm and her eyes twinkled.

"I'm Mrs. Fray, and you all must be the Lightwood siblings? Great, well, follow along. I've got some people to give you the tour. I would do it myself, but I've got to prep for classes." She led them through tthe courtyard and along a hallway of lockers to a locker where a group of people were standing. 

"Clary! Jace, Izzy, Alec, this is my daughter Clary, and her friends Simon, Jem, Catarina, and Ragnor. They're going to show you around. I'll be seeing you in class." With that, Mrs. Fray was gone as quick as she had come. The girl, Clary, stepped forward. She looked like her mother, except her hair was brighter in her youth and she had a sort of energy that her mother had grown out of. 

"Hi! I'm Clary." She smiled brightly. Izzy smiled back, stepping forward and shaking her hand.

"I'm Isabelle, but please call me Izzy, all my friends do." Clary nodded. The other kids stepped forward eagerly.

"I'm Catarina, and that's Ragnor and Jem." She motioned to two boys, one with brown eyes and another with black. The black haired one proclaimed himself as Jem. Jace nodded at all of them and motioned to Alec, who gave a half wave.

"I'm Jace, and this is Alec." He said. They all waved at the two brothers and then looked to Clary.

"Well, I guess we'll start our tour by the lockers. This hallway is where the seniors are, which is you, I believe, Jace and Alec?" Jace nodded for himself and Alec, who didn't say anything. She nodded.

"That's what I thought. Simon, Jem, why don't you show Izzy around the juniors classes and the rest of us will how Jace and Alec?" The two of them nodded and motioned for Izzy to follow them before Jem stopped and looked at Alec thoughtfully. Alec squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze and raised his eyebrows. Jem chuckled and exclaimed, 

"He looks just like Will!" The others gasped and nodded.

"You're right! Different facial expressions though, Will isn't nearly so grumpy looking." Clary said. Jace and Izzy let out laughs so loud the teens jumped, except Alec who just shoved Jace's shouler and rolled his eyes. 

"If only you knew." Izzy teased, and Alec actually smiled back and elbowed her affectionately. Clary examined the sibling' closeness and smiled. 

"Well, we should get going. My mom could only get us out until third period. See you all at lunch." They all split to go on their respectable tours. Clary, Ragnor, and Jace took the lead, while Alec followed behind them alongside Catarina. Clary walked until they came to a locker almost at the end of the hall.

"Here is where you'll locker will be. It's beside Magnus and I." Ragnor spoke, motioning to the locker Clary had walked to. She popped it open and handed Jace a lock. 

"I would recommend choosing a password you'll both remember." 

"More like one I can remember. Alec can remember anything." Alec rolled his eyes, and then him and Jace locked eyes. 

It was silent for a beat and then...

They both lunged for the locker at the same time, but Alec got there first and shoved his backpack on the top shelf.

"Cheater!" Jace exclaimed, but Alec just threw his head back and laughed. Jace frowned and placed his backpack on the bottom shelf. 

"I won it fair and square!" 

"You cheated!"

"How?!?"

"He speaks!" They both whipped their heads to where Ragnor and Catarina were looking at them in amusement. Clary just looked excited.

"Excuse me?" Jace asked. Catarina repeated, 

"She said, "he speaks!" Referring to your brother." She smirked as Alec flushed a red color, all the way down his neck. The girls giggled.

"Aw, look at that! Your brother is adorable, Jace." The girls said, and the boys exchanged looks.

"Too bad, you're not his type." Jace winked while Alec choked on his laughs. The girls exchanged looks.

"What, redheads?" Jace just snorted.

"Can we continue the tour?" They nodded and continued the tour. They visited the library, the gym, the indoor cafeteria, the classrooms they would have classes in, and several other important rooms. When they were done, Cat said that they had study hall in five minutes.

"Well, we'll split here. I have art. I'll see you at lunch. Just look for my face. Or my hair, that's probably easier." She waved and disappeared down the hall. Catarina and Ragnor left next. 

"We're meeting Magnus and Will for coffee. You can come or go to study hall, but I would recommend the latter. You might need to meet your study hall teacher to get on her good side." Jace nodded and tugged Alec along to their locker. As soon as they got their the bell rang and the hallway flooded with people. 

They made their way to the study hall room to see it packed from floor to ceiling. All the chairs and tables were overflowing with people. Alec saw with some relief that many of the people were leaving for their next class. He was just scanning for some floor space when Jace pointed.

"There's Jem. He's got some extra room." They started to make their way over there when Jem jumped up and cleared a spot. They threw their stuff down and Jace groaned. 

"This place is huge." Alec nodded in agreement.

"You get used to it." A deeper voice said, and they looked to a guy with black hair and dark eyes. 

"This is Raphael." Jem introduced. "Raphael, this is-"

"Goldilocks and the Will look-a-like. I heard of them. Who hasn't?" Raphael spoke. Jace narrowed his eyes, but Jem shook his head.

"This is just Raph. It's just his way of showing welcomes. He doesn't mean any offence." Raphael shrugged in agreement and Jace relaxed. Slowly, he began to grin.

"Alec, I think I like this place..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know your thoughts and I promise that not all chapters will be as fast paced as the prologue.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m keeping the chapters light and hopeful for now. There will be a little bit of drama, to add interest to the story, but in general this is supposed to be a lighthearted story to show Alec coming out of his shell. 
> 
> Enjoy and as always, constructive criticism and comments are welcome! I wouldn’t say no to kudos either ;)

After the free period ended, Alec followed Jace and Jem to Algebra. Jem claimed that the teacher was laid back most of the time, so Alec relaxed a little until they stepped through the door.

As soon as they walked in, all eyes turned to them. Jem rolled his eyes and Jace smirked. Alec simply raised his eyebrows. I mean, what was with the stares?

Jem laughed at his facial expression and then turned to the class.

”Something happen?” He asked quizzically. Kids were strewn variously around the room, as class wouldn’t start for another few minutes. When Jem asked this, however, several of them started across the room. Some of them simply returned to the conversations previous to the Lightwood’s entrance. 

“Nothing happened, James, we were simply speculating as to if the Lightwoods were as godlike as everyone made them out to be.” A boy that had a striking resemblance to Alec spoke up. His eyes were slightly paler than Alec’s, however. 

“Oh, whatever William. This is Jace, and this is Alec. Guys, this is Will.” Jem said, his eyes looking at Will with an exasperated kind of fondness.

”Nice to meet you.” Jace said to Will, who nodded and smirked.

”And you as well.” He said, and then, “Well, I supposed you can be considered godlike, especially since this one here looks exactly like me and we all _know_ I’m godlike.” Several people scattered around them giggles, and Alec flushed red. He was beginning to understand that Will and Jem were pretty popular people. 

“Well, well, if it isn’t the talk of the hour?” A cold voice spoke up. Alec turned to see a girl with bleach blonde hair and icy blue eyes. Her eyes were cruel and she had a smirk on her face. Alec knew without talking to her that she would be an enemy.

”Camille. Hello.” Jem said with a fake smile plastered over his face. 

Camille’s smirk was replaced with a fake pout. She glared at Jem and then smiled a sickly sweet smile.

”Now, now, James. Play nice. You wouldn’t want me going to Magnus, now would you?” Jem glared at her. 

“Whatever, Camille. What do you want?” Will asked. For whatever reason, nothing Camille ever threatened him with worked. He’d tell her to shove off anyways. She liked it that way, anyways. She needed a little competition to keep her on her toes.

”Just needed to welcome the newbies to Idris with a warning. This school is mine. I rule here. Don’t talk to any of my friends or me. You understand?” She was talking to all of them, but she was looking at Alec.

Jem and Will exchanged worried glances and then looked between Camille and Alec. Alec raised his eyebrows at her and exchanged looks with Jace. 

”That sounded like a threat. Except I don’t really feel threatened.” Alec said bluntly. Will choked on his spit as Jem paled. Jace laughed openly and clapped Alec on the back.

Camille’s face twisted in fury before it calmed. She simply smiled.

”You’re dead, Lightwood. You just don’t know it yet.” With that cheerful thought out, Camille made her way to her desk just as the teacher walked in. 

As class started and the teacher introduced himself properly, Alec felt himself get hit in the head with a piece of  paper. 

It read:

**_That took guts._ **

Alec smiled briefly but then it faded as he realized what Camille had said.

_You’re dead, Lightwood._

Alec had no clue what’d he gotten himself into.

*

After Algebra was, thankfully, lunch. Alec didn’t know how much more he could handle before he exploded. 

Thankfully, Jace sensed his mood and they decided to walk peacefully to lunch. Alec knew the cafeteria would be hectic, but he enjoyed the moments before.

It ended too quickly, however, when they stepped into the indoor cafeteria. There was a blip in conversation as many people stared, some even craning their necks to see the the Lightwoods.

Jace rolled his eyes and grabbed Alec’s arm lightly, pulling him to a table. Alec wondered how he knew where to sit until he saw flaming red hair and a hand beckoning them over.

They got there just as two other strangers, who looked at them and then Clary in confusion.

”Biscuit, who are these...people?” The speaker of this question looked over Jace before dismissing him and locked eyes with Alec. He had beautiful green gold eyes and a positively sinful physique. The smirk on his face told Alec that he knew he was beautiful, and he wasn't ashamed to show it.

Alec looked away, flushed from all the activity, but Jace grinned.

”I’m Jace, and this is Alec, my faithful sidekick.” Clary snickered as Alec protested.

”I’m not your sidekick!” Jace simply smirked. Alec rolled his eyes and kicked Jace in the leg. He yelped and and then scowled.

”Okay, partner in crime, however you wish to phrase it.” Alec deemed the title appropriate with a nod of his head and moved to sit across from Clary.

”Okay you two, that’s enough.” A familiar voice spoke up and Alec looked up to see Cat sitting across from the stranger and next to Alec.

”Agreed, now Jace, Alec, meet Magnus and Tessa, some great friends of ours.” Jace waves while Alec simply glared at Clary’s tray.

”What the hell is that?” Cat choked on her food while Clary erupted in giggle. Magnus just looked amused.

”What?” Alec asked, blushing a fierce red.

”We’ve barely got two words out of you since you got here, and the first full sentence is a curse. It’s always the shy ones!” Clary exclaimed. Cat and Tessa both laughed as Alec continued to blush.

Jace smirked at the girls and then raised his eyebrows at Alec, who shrugged and widened his eyes.

"Alec is the one who curses the most at home, honestly. None that you could tell, from what you've just heard." Jace said sarcastically. Clary just rolled her eyes and continued asking them questions. 

”So, how’s the first day going?” She asked, shoveling what Alec thought could’ve been chili in her mouth. 

“It’s great, I guess.” Jace said, while Alec simply shrugged. Clary eyed them suspiciously, but before she could say anything there was a shout.

”ALEC!” Izzy’s voice was heard from behind, making them all jump. 

Using the surprise to her advantage, she shoved Jace over to make room for herself. She settled herself right next to Alec and linked their arms.

”I want to tell you all about my day, you’ll never believe what happened! Okay so first I-“ She was cut off by Jace thumping her with his elbow.

”Ow! And what am I, chopped liver?” He asked, and she simply nodded before turning to Alec. 

“So when we stopped by the lockers, and I saw-“

”Izzy, tell him about your day at home and introduce yourself to these nice people.” Jace interrupted again. Izzy sighed and turned to the other occupants of the table, who had been watching her and Alec fondly.

”Hi, I’m Isabelle.” She said smoothly, her face lit in a bright smile. 

“I’m Magnus.” He said, winking at them. The girl next to him just rolled her eyes.

”I’m Tessa. Magnus, don’t scare them off!” She exclaimed.

”I wouldn't dream of it.” He assured her. He was about to say something else when Will slid into the spot next to Tessa. Jem and Ragnor joined them at that moment too, making the table space go down drastically so that Alec was crammed into Izzy to avoid getting too close to Catarina. As nice as she was, as any of these people were, he had just met them. 

"The party has arrived." Magnus snickered while Ragnor rolled his eyes at Will's antics.

"William, the party is already in full swing." Tessa raised her eyebrows at Jem and Will before shaking her head fondly.

"You two, I swear." But her eyes were full of an emotion that made Alec look away, it seemed too private for such a public setting. 

"So how has the first day been?" Alec realized Cat was addressing him with a worried look so he blushed and looked down. Izzy frowned at the two of them. 

"Am I missing something here?" She asked, too used to being all up in Alec's business and not liking being the one left in the dark. Cat looked at Magnus and raised an eyebrow. He simply rolled his eyes, too used to being told the same thing. 

"I'm sure she was just nervous of the new people. You know how she gets." Now Alec was confused as both Magnus and Cat seemed to be having a silent argument. Will looked between the two of them and sighed.

"We do know how she gets, but don't worry your pretty little head off too much, Cat. Alec handled himself perfectly fine. So fine, it fact, that the two will probably never be able to have a civil argument again." Will said. Cat looked to Jem to verify this, as Will liked his tall tales enough, and Jem nodded in amazement. 

"It was something special to watch, alright. Those two are dangerous together." He said, eyeing Alec, who was exchanging looks with Izzy and Jace. Jace was just shrugging, and Izzy was still tucked into Alec's side. Having given up on understanding what they were talking about, she was now simply eating her chili and listening.

"Are we missing something here?" Jace asked impatiently. Magnus rolled his eyes at the blonde. 

"Your brother put down my girlfriend and now everyone is praising him. Although, it would be nice to know what he said." Alec's face screwed up into confusion.

"I didn't "put her down." She threatened me-" Alec was cut off as Will interjected,

"'That sounded like a threat, except I don't feel threatened.'" Will did a horrible mimic of Alec's voice, and everyone laughed before looking toward Alec in amazement. He blushed immediately and shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh brother dear, you always did speak before you thought." Izzy giggled. He tried to elbow her but he merely made a weak attempt before succumbing to her giggles and laughing himself. 

"Well, this year is going to be interesting." Magnus grumbled. Cat laughed at him and reached over to ruffle his hair. He smiled at her as she continued to laugh.

"Don't worry, Mags, I hardly think this is the first time someone's told Camille to stuff it." Magnus just shook his head. 

"Anyways, Camille and school aside, what do you guys think of Idris?" Clary asked, picking apart a breadstick. 

 "Small." Jace answered.

"Boring." Izzy pouted. Jace nodded at this. They both looked at Alec, who shrugged.

"I was asleep the whole way here." Cat looked at him in surprise and he explained,

"You would be too if you had to sit by Jace the entire time." Izzy and Alec shuddered, and the others looked at them in amusement. 

"If I had to hear about one more of Jace's recent flings-" Alec was cut off by a hand across his mouth. He smiled at Jace through his hand and was met by a glare. The others laughed and Will winked at Jace.

"Hey, it's cool. There's so many hook ups just in our grade it's crazy." Jace grinned while Alec just rolled his eyes. Simon saw this and reached over to pat him on the shoulder. Alec dodged this and Clary giggled.

"Fine? We're not to that stage of friendship yet, whatever." Alec just shook his head. "Anyways, I was gonna say not to worry! We'll find you a nice girl, Alec!" Simon said. Clary and the other girls nodded eagerly. 

Alec's face took on a look of pure disgust. His face twisted while Jace and Izzy howled with laughter. Alec glared at them and then rolled his eyes. He could probably set a record for how many times he did that in a day. 

The confusion on the other's face was getting more and more funny, but Izzy stopped laughing long enough to speak one sentence.

"Alec? With a girl?" And then she started giggling. Alec blushed furiously, and then he thought about that and started laughing as well. The image of him going on a date with a girl, god forbid _kissing her_ , was pretty comical.

Finally, Clary's face dawned with something close to understanding and she looked at Alec in understanding.

"So, when you said I wasn't your type...you didn't mean redheads?" This just set the siblings off again. Alec wasn't even laughing anymore, he was merely shaking his head fondly. Anyone could see that he wasn't really annoyed, his eyes were full of love for his brother and sister. 

"I'm still confused." Raphael said, but Simon just gently took his hand in his under the table, to which Raphael finally seemed to understand. 

"One time, a girl tried to kiss Alec at a party and he screamed that he had herpes and he ran away." Jace said, and the table erupted into vicious laughter that was so loud that a teacher glared at them from across the cafeteria. Alec was blushing furiously as he glared at Jace, but it was half-hearted. 

"Well, Alec, that is certainly one way to do it." Catarina laughed, her face red from all the laughing. Alec just blushed and looked down. The girls cooed at him.

"Well if he swung this way, you can bet the girls would be all over him." Ragnor teased. The girls all glared at him before Clary looked at her phone and sighed. 

"Lunch ends in about five minutes. We should hang out some time, all of us." She said. Izzy beamed at her.

"I agree! I'll give you our address." Izzy recited their address to Clary just as the bell began to ring.

"See you all later! Come on Alec and Jace, we have English III." Catarina said, and began to lead them down the hallway.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec reflects, sibling moments, and MALEC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I've been busy and whenever I'm free, I'm too exhausted to write anymore. I managed this so, until next time, enjoy.  
> Also, as I'm really busy a lot, I might have trouble replying to comments, so just know that they mean the world and they keep me writing! <3

When Alec managed to get away from everyone, it was unfortunately only to go to what was probably going to be his least favorite class, P.E. 

*

It's not that he was bad at sports or athletics, as he actually wasn't terrible at them. When he was younger, him and Jace had been some of the top athletes in their class. They were always participating in any sports the took place during recess or P.E. Things changed as they got older.

When they were about 14, Alec began to realize that he was different. He had no interest in girls, or dating, whereas everyone in their class had been in countless silly relationships. He thought something was wrong with him. He wasn't the only one to think that.

There were a group that him and Jace typically stayed away from. They weren't into the best things and definitely weren't very nice to other people. So when they got to their freshman year of highschool, Alec made it a point to stay away from them, and even though they constantly tried to get Jace to hang out with them, he refused to leave Alec all alone. 

One day, in the locker room after P.E, one of them, named Raj, smirked over at Alec, who was changing out of his gym clothes quietly in the corner. Jace had left early, needing to talk to his English teacher about something over the paper they were writing. 

"Hey, Lightwood!" Raj called. His friends looked towards Alec, all smirking with hate clear in their eyes. Alec bit his lip to keep himself from shouting at them angrily. That's what they wanted, after all.

"Yes?" He asked, clenching his fists to keep his voice from shaking. Raj clearly saw his fear through the light tone of voice, for he smiled evily. 

"I couldn't help but notice you've been keeping your brother from us." Alec's eyes widened at his words. What was he talking about?

"Everyone sees it. How he wants to hang out with us, how controlling you are of him. I suppose I can see why, I mean, if you didn't control him you'd have nobody who liked you. But I mean, it's not like Jace _really_ likes you. He has to put up with you, though, because you're his brother." Alec could feel tears coming on, but he couldn't cry in front of them.

Did Jace really see him that way? Is that what he thought of Alec? He couldn't believe he actually thought they were best friends. 

"So here's what you're going to do, Lightwood. You listening? Good. You're going to encourage Jace to try out for the football team, convince him to, and you aren't. I don't want you on my team. I mean, who would want someone as fat and ugly as yourself?" That's when Alec broke. With a nod to Raj saying he understood, he shoved everything into his bad and hurried out. 

*

Alec shook himself out of those thoughts. He didn't need this on his first day. He actually had friends now, who liked him for who he was, and he wasn't going to let his feelings push them away. He found the boys locker room quite easily. 

He hesitated before going in. He wasn't comfortable changing in front of other people, especially people who were complete strangers to him at this point.

Back at Idris, it was either change in front of his classmate's he'd known his whole life, or fail. The school was strict, with only the top families allowing their kids to go. Alec would have been a major failure in his dad's eyes if he'd failed P.E. of all classes. 

He let out a sigh, staring uncomfortably at the door. He wasn't aware how long he had been standing here already, except that he had heard the bell go off a few moments ago, letting him know he really needed to get going. He knew that, deep down, but his legs wouldn't move. He didn't know what to do until...

"Alec!" He was almost relieved to have an excuse to turn away from the wooden door leading to the boy's locker room. He put a pleasant expression and spun around in the hallway. 

Clary smiled at him as she made her way to his side. She was still wearing her green jacket, jeans and sneakers as well, which confused Alec because he was sure that they had gym together. However, he smiled back at her as she walked up to him.

"Hey Clary. Don't you have gym too?" He said, gesturing to the line of locker rooms along the wall. She laughed slightly, rubbing her toes along the floor and making a slight squeaking noise.

"No, actually. I was just coming to find you. Usually if you have P.E or study hall last period, you're allowed to opt out and help out in the music room. Izzy and Jace told me that's something you'd be interested in. Something you got against P.E?" She grinned at him. He smiled back weakly.

"You have no idea." Her smiled softened slightly.

"Oh, okay, Alec. Well, don't worry, if you chose to stay in class everyone would be super nice." He shook his head quickly.

"No, no, I want to go. Lead the way." Her smile reappeared. She started to bounce on the balls of her feet as she spun around and started to lead him to the music room.

"By the angel, I'm so glad you all came here." She said, and I tilted my head to the side slightly.

"That's a very kind thing for you to say, but may I ask why?" My voice came out softer than I meant it, and she smiled kindly at me as she lead me through the narrow hallways and twisted rooms.

"It's just, everyone's been so much happier, because you're all three so nice, and it's been nice to meet some people. And, well-" She cut off, her face flushing with something akin to embarrassment. Alec grinned at her.

"My siblings treating you well?" She simply flushed and led him through another doorway, to which he saw the group of friends he'd come to know at this school assembled throughout the room.

"Alec! My platonic love! How I have missed you! I'm sure you've missed your favorite sibling as well!" Jace cried dramatically, swooping down and squeezing Alec with both of his arms. The group howled with laughter as Alec reached down and ruffled Jace's hair, making him cry out in rage.

"Alec, brother, I've been an angel, why would you do this to me?" He yelled halfheartedly as he attempted to salvage the mess that was his hair. 

"That's what you get for thinking you're the favorite!" Izzy exclaimed, grinning at Alec before stopping at the solemn look on his face.

"You're right, Iz...Max would beat him for saying that." He made a tsking noise as she reached over and slapped him on the arm.

"After everything I've done for you." She scoffed. 

"Well, this is cozy. Everyone must've been right about you three." A voice to Alec's right said. He turned to see Magnus leaning against the wall, a lazy grin spread on his face as he hopped up and started towards Alec. Thought he wouldn't admit this to anyone, his heart started beating a little faster at seeing Magnus again. Wait, what?

"Oh?" He inquired, as Clary bounded over and took Izzy's hand, dragging her over to a shelf of old props.

"Just in that you're a fun group. A happy bunch."  _If only they knew._ Alec thought, and then scowled internally at himself.  _Happy thoughts, Alec._

"Oh, it's a love hate relationship." Alec said, and Magnus laughed. Alec thought it was the most amazing thing he'd ever heard. He smiled, looking down at the ground awkwardly. He completely missed the way Magnus smiled at him. Clary and Izzy, in the corner giggling, however, did not. 

"Brother dearest, I have a request for you!" Izzy cried, walking back over and sending a dazzling smile Magnus' way. Alec's head snapped up and he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh dear angel, Izzy, what is it this time?" He asked, thinking back to some of Izzy's past requests. Magnus looked confused.

"When Izzy likes to make a request, usually we all end up drunk off our asses or poisoned from her newest cooked food." Jace explained to Simon and Raphael standing next to him. They looked in amusement as Izzy reached over and smacked him on the arm. He yelped, glaring and rubbing his arm as he moved to stand beside Alec.

"What is it, Iz?" Alec asked, sighing internally. She grinned at him.

"Well..." She said, smirking at Clary, who smirked right back at her. "Clary and I were thinking...We should all have a sleepover this weekend, to get to know one another better!" She exclaimed, and Alec nodded.

"Sure, Iz. It'll be good for you to get out of the house for the weekend." He said, and Jace and him exchanged amused glances. They both knew that Izzy was talking about having the sleepover at their house, or else she wouldn't have asked his permission. 

"Aleeeeec." She whined, and he groaned. Jace laughed as she narrowed his eyes.

"I could always ask mom." She said, and Jace reached over to ruffle his head. 

"Wrong, you know she's working the night shift and you know Alec's in charge." She glared and brushed off his arm affectionately. 

"Please? I promise we'll clean up and you can stay in your room all night and binge Netflix and we won't bother you at all." He sighed, looking away because he knew that if he saw her batting her eyelashes he'd give her whatever she wanted. He could feel his resolve weakening, however, and groaned again. Her smile widened over her entire face.

"Fine." He sighed, rolling his eyes as her and Clary gave out squeals.

"Thanks bro!" Jace tsked and shook his head at him.

"Weak, bro." However, Izzy turned to him and smiled even brighter.

"We can have the living room television, right Jace?" She looked at him lovingly as he sighed, shaking his head in surrender. 

"Sure, Iz. Whatever you want." She laughed and skipped over to Clary. They immediately started to chatter and talk.

"You were saying?" Alec deadpanned, and Jace gave his shoulder a shove. They were interrupted, however, when Simon's face lit up.

"Hey, if it's okay with your parents, we should all hang out!" Simon said, and the others came over, gathering around as Jace and Alec exchanged looks.

"Well, it's just our Mom, but I'm sure she'd be fine with it." Jace said. Simon gave them a look of sympathy.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." He said,and the others nodded their heads in agreement before Izzy shook her head quickly.

"No, no, he's not dead, he's fine, he lives back in the city." Raphael looked them over in puzzlement. 

"Bad divorce?" He asked, and Jace shrugged.

"Something like that. Mom got full custody, he's only allowed to visit as long as she okays it." Magnus' face twisted in confusion.

"What did your father do to get no custody?" He asked in shock, and the siblings exchanged nervous looks. Alec shook his head at Jace, who sighed and nodded towards Izzy. Izzy shuffled her feet nervously. The rest of the group watched this interaction and Clary was about to speak up when the bell rang.

"Oh, well, there's the bell!" Izzy said in a high pitched voice, and relief flooded Alec's face. He smiled weakly at them before him and Jace rushed out of the room. Izzy gave a wave but was stopped from leaving by Clary.

"Izzy, what happened? We won't judge you guys." She said, and the others nodded their affirmation. Izzy smiled gently.

"That's not my story to tell." She said, and Clary looked at her, rubbing her arm in comfort.

"Who's is it?" Magnus asked intently. Izzy looked around, and then spoke.

"Alec's. I have to go." She said. "See you tomorrow?" Clary nodded, and she headed outside to her brothers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this took a ridiculously amount of time to write, but my summer break is coming up, so I will definitely be able to edit more. That's the plan, anyways.
> 
> Also, the drama is about to start sooo hopefully you'll enjoy it and Alec's storyline. Malec will be happening soooon, hope you like :0


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love Alec Lightwood and you should too.
> 
> That is all.

The next morning, Alec was up before any of his siblings. He had actually never gotten much sleep, so finally he found himself at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee at 6:30 in the morning, waiting for his siblings to finish getting ready. 

He was shaken out of his musings by a loud, obnoxious knocking coming from the front door.

"I'll get it!" He shouted, so his siblings would know that he was on his way and they could continue getting ready. He ran a hand through his hair, wondering who could possibly be knocking an hour and a half before they were supposed to leave for school.

He was surprised, however, to find Clary, Magnus, Raphael, and Catarina standing on his porch. He blinked, once, to make sure he wasn't imagining what he was seeing.

"Um, hi?" He questioned, still blinking. Clary bounded on the balls of her feet.

"Alec! Hello!" She said excitedly, and he cocked his head to the side.

"Hello, Clary. Uh, not to be rude but why are you even here this early?" He asked, and she looked slightly confused.

"Izzy didn't tell you?" She asked, and he shrugged, moving to allow them access.

"No, she didn't, obviously. But come on in, I guess. She's still getting ready. Her and Jace got up unusually early so I'm assuming that's why you're here." She beamed at him, nodding enthusiastically as they entered the home of the Lightwood's. 

"Good morning, Alec." Catarina said, smiling at him as she passed. He smiled back.

"Good morning, Cat." She grinned as they made there way to the kitchen. They settled themselves in the comfortable chairs as Alec gestured to the coffee machine in the corner.

"Feel free to help yourselves to whatever you want." Alec said, but before they could reply Izzy hurtled around the corner, her hair in adorable curls that flowed around her face in little bounces. Her face was bright and happy, but there was an underlying tension there.

"If there's anything left that Max and Jace haven't eaten." She snorted, and then reached over to run her fingers through Alec's hair. She giggled as he relaxed. 

"Have you seen my-" She began, but Alec cut her off.

"On the counter in the bathroom. I washed them for you." He beamed at her, but her face was still framed in hesitant concern. However, she simply placed a kiss on Alec's cheek before sauntering off down the hall. Clary chuckled and he looked at her in confusion.

"Nothing, nothing, I just wished my brother did things like that for me." She groaned, stretching her toes out. Alec nodded, sipping his coffee, and they lapsed out into a comfortable silence until Izzy reentered the room with a pair of stylish combat boots in hand. She plopped down into a chair next to Alec and propped her feet out to him. He chuckled, pushing the boots gently onto her feet before lacing them with care. 

"Thanks bro." She beamed at him, reaching over to take a swig of his coffee. He rolled his eyes fondly but let her have the cup, getting up to busy himself with making another cup. 

"And thanks to all of you, for letting us come along even though Jace is taking a ridiculous amount of time to get ready." She said, smiling softly as she though of her other brother.

"No problem, you and your brothers are a delight to have around." Clary said, smiling at Izzy. Magnus smirked.

"Plus, your fashion sense is impeccable." He spoke, nodding towards her boots. She smiled, pleased, but shook her head. 

"Thank you, but these were a gift, actually." Magnus' head cocked toward the side. 

"From who, if you don't mind me asking?" She looked toward Alec uneasily, who had his head in the fridge, but his hand was gripping the fridge so tightly his knuckles turned white. 

"My father." She said with a small smile. Magnus looked toward Alec, but his face was still deeply hidden in the fridge, to where he couldn't gauge his reaction.

"Don't you miss him?" Cat asked sadly, and Izzy shrugged.

"Not really. I mean, I miss the father he was, before everything happened, but I don't think I could ever miss him after what he did." Izzy said, taking a deep breath. Before anyone could say anything else, Alec withdrew from the fridge, and Izzy's heart sank when she saw the brightness withdrawn from his eyes.

"I'm going to get Jace. We're out of milk and I need coffee." Without another word, he spun on his heel and walked out of the kitchen. Izzy watched him go sadly, before looking at Clary and shrugging at her sad look.

"I didn't mean to push." Magnus said, regret lacing his voice, but Izzy shook her head.

"It's fine, just...I can't tell you what happened, that's only Alec's choice and I can't take that away from him, but..He's shy, and for good reason, so don't blame him for not being as outgoing or being uncomfortable. It's not his fault." She looked at him seriously, and in that moment everyone realized the true depth of Isabelle Lightwood's love for her brother. 

To everyone's surprise, it was Raphael who spoke up.

"Nobody is judging him, we love him just as much as you, Jace, and anyone in our group. We're a family, and Alec is part of that now." He said, and Magnus reached over to grab a hold of his shoulder. Catarina and Clary smiled at Izzy as she nodded.

"Good. ALEC! JACE! LET'S GO WE'RE LEAVING!"

*

At Starbuck's in town, Alec sat down with Catarina, Clary, and Magnus while the others ordered drinks. Alec sat by the window, Magnus across from him, with Catarina beside him and Clary across from her, leaving plenty of room for the others in the booth. They mostly sat in silence, with the girls chattering softly, Magnus checking his phone, frowning, and Alec in a tired daze. Magnus occasionally would glance at him in concern, but Alec was obviously tired so he let it go. 

Until Clary noticed, too.

"So, Alec, long night?" She asked sympathetically. He blinked, as if forgetting where he was, and then he shrugged. 

"Didn't sleep much." He didn't elaborate, and she nodded as if to keep him talking. Magnus loved Clary, but seeing Alec shrug uncomfortable made him want to be quite rude to her, and snap at her, which wasn't like him at all, he noticed, blinking in surprise. He shook his head.  _I'm just being polite, anyone would feel this way._

Clary, however, didn't. 

"You can always talk to us, you know." She said casually, but Alec narrowed his eyes. She shrunk away but his eyes just stared at her.

"How much did Isabelle tell you?" He asked, looking over at where she was standing in line with the others.

"Nothing, I swear. You just seem..." She trailed off, and he shifted uncomfortably away from her. There was an awkward silence, before Catarina spoke up.

"You don't have to tell us anything, Alec." She said, shooting Clary a look. She seemed to take the hint and looked down quickly at her feet. 

Alec seemed satisfied with Catarina's answer and resumed looking at the window, before Magnus sighed and looked at all of them.

"This is awkward. Clary, apologize and then we can all pretend this never happened." He said, dramatically rolling his eyes and slouching down into his seat. Clary and Cat giggled, while Alec looked genuinely amused. 

"Sorry Alec." Clary said, still laughing, but she looked genuinely sorry. He nodded at her.

"It's no problem, it's just...hard to talk about, you know?" He said, looking away from her. Clary looked at him with care.

"I understand." She smiled once more, and he grinned at her.

*

It was sudden.

Once second the table was awkward and dark, and the next minute Alec Lightwood  _was smiling._

It caught Magnus off guard, the brightness and suddenness of the smile. It split all of the way across his face, from ear to ear, and brought a light to his eyes that brightened the blue in them immensely. 

Looking at that smile, he began to smile also. He was beautiful, Alec Lightwood was. In the way that broken things can always be rebuilt. And Magnus wanted to keep that smile on his face for as long as possible, using any means possible.

Magnus shook his head. What was he doing? Alec Lightwood was off limits, and he had a girlfriend. Not to mention he had no idea if Alec Lightwood was even interested! He couldn't fall for him, damnit.

Wait, was he falling for him.

Shit, he was falling for him.

He stood up quickly, knocking both of his knees on the table and creating an incredibly loud noise. Everyone's heads rushed to him, as he blushed sheepishly. 

"Sorry." He muttered, sitting back down to an embarrassed smile. The three of them looked at him, confusion and concern written all over their faces. He shrugged, and Catarina knocked his shoulder with hers.

"What is it, Mags?" She asked, looking at him. He wracked his brain quickly for a lie, and latched onto the first thing he could think of. 

"I was supposed to...meet Camille! I forgot!" He exclaimed, and Catarina snorted, while Clary simply rolled her eyes.

"Oh, she'll get over it. You're not leaving." Magnus looked at her, but she refused to meet his eye. From across the table, Alec frowned.

"If everyone hates her this much, why don't you dump her?" Came his voice, but it wasn't rude or judgmental, he genuinely sounded curious.

"I'm not sure." He muttered, and Catarina whipped her head around to look at him.

"What do you-" She questioned, but was cut off by Izzy.

"Finally here!" She exclaimed, and promptly shoved Clary over to make room in the booth for everyone else. 

"Took you long enough, Iz." Alec exclaimed, reaching for his coffee and smiling when she handed him a chocolate chip muffin as well.

"I didn't get a muffin!" Jace whined, and she rolled her eyes fondly.

"You were up there!" Alec exclaimed, and Jace scoffed at him.

"So!?" Everyone laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the abrupt ending lol, I'm bad at them.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're slightly getting more into things here  
> Also please appreciate me staying up late to get this done even tho I have an early shift at work

*Clary's POV*

I smiled to myself, fidgeting slightly in Catarina's adorable dodge avenger. It was a cute little car, and Clary absolutely adored it. The seats were spacious enough that she was finding herself questioning the distance between her and Izzy. What if Izzy was offended she wasn't closer? What if she would be weirded out if Clary scooted closer? 

She was shook out her thoughts, however, when Catarina glanced at her in the mirror. 

"Did you catch what Mags' said to us, at the table with Alec?" She questioned, and Izzy raised her eyebrows questionably. Clary, however, nodded.

"Yeah, it was weird. He never acts like that, and he didn't even defend her." Clary said, not meeting Izzy's eyes, which narrowed in suspicion. 

"What're you two talking about?" She questioned, her eyes shifting between the two of them. Catarina raised her eyebrows in mock deadpan, and Izzy and Clary broke into giggles.

"You're smarter than that, Izzy, you must've seen the way they were talking in the music room!" Clary exclaimed, and Izzy sighed, her shoulders visibly deflating. 

"I noticed. I had hoped I was making it up." She said, and Clary and Catarina both looked away in guilt.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up, I was-" Catarina began, but Izzy shook her head, cutting her off efficiently. 

"It's not that, I promise! I just...as much as I want Alec to let himself out of his shell, I'm not sure that a relationship would be good for him, simply because he wouldn't know how to handle one and he always overthinks himself and his insecurities. Not to mention Camille would let hell on anyone who she even saw  _looking_ at Magnus." She finished, and Catarina nodded.

Catarina's eyebrows furrowed in thought as her eyes scanned the road. Her fingertips drummed against the steering wheel while Clary glanced at Izzy.

"However, Iz, say that, hypothetically, everything could work out and Camille wasn't a problem, using your sixth sister sense, do you think that Alec likes Magnus?" Clary asked, and Izzy looked up slowly, her lips forming a smirk.

"I'd say, if all of that were hypothetically true, then you'd have yourself a yes." Clary squealed and Catarina giggled, looking forward with a glint in her eyes.

"Well then, ladies, it looks like we have a lot of work to do." With that, she pulled into the school parking lot and pulled into her spot.

* 

The next time the group got together was lunch period for all of them. They sat at the same table as always. They were jam packed but they wouldn't have it any other way.

After making his way through the line, Alec made his way towards the table, his lunch tray complete with a sandwich, chips, a flavored water and fruit bowl. Taking note of the table situation, he noticed Jace was flanked on either side by Simon and Clary.

Since he couldn't sit beside him, he settled himself in between Izzy and Magnus quietly, sticking himself right next to Izzy's side. 

Jace shot him an apologetic look, to which he simply shrugged. It wasn't Jace's fault, after all. In fact, if he looked closely enough, he could practically see something going on behind Izzy's brain. Deciding to pursue it, he locked eyes with her for a silent battle of wills.

They kept up the eye contact heavily, Alec eating his chips and Izzy sipping her juice, until Magnus broke the silence. 

"What, exactly, is going on here?" He asked in an amused tone. Alec simply narrowed his eyes at Izzy, who just bit down on a strawberry. 

"Nothing." Alec, Izzy, Clary, and Cat both said at exactly the same time. Alec whipped around to glare at both of them too. Clary looked suddenly interested in her fruit whilst Catarina just nudged Tessa and started up a whispered conversation. 

"Girls." Alec huffed and rolled his eyes. He bit down on his sandwich and zoned out for awhile, his lack of sleep finally catching up on him. He might've been afraid of falling asleep if Izzy hadn't nudged him in the ribs and whispered into his ear, 

"You didn't sleep last night, right?" She asked sadly, and he rubbed his eyes with a shake of his head. She sighed, her hand reaching out to push his hair out of his face.

"Another nightmare?" She asked patiently, and he nodded silently, noticing Clary and Cat looking at them out of the corner of their eyes. He knew they couldn't hear Izzy's soft tone, however, so he listened intently.

"Alec, you need to tell us when this happens. Did you take your medicine?" She asked, and he nodded once again. She smiled sadly at him and smirked, picking up a grape. She tossed it quickly up into the air to Jace. 

"Catch!" She exclaimed, and he reacted quickly, catching it into his mouth and chewing it. He smiled crookedly once he swallowed, and Alec laughed at the smug look on his face. 

"Jealous, Alexander?" Alec gave the biggest eye roll known to man, and that was knowing himself as well. 

"You wish, Jonathan." Clary looked at them excitedly. 

"Alexander and Jonathan, huh?" She exclaimed, and both of them turned to the rest of them.

"Never, ever, ever call me that again." They said at the same time, and everyone looked at them in surprise until they burst out laughing.

"Don't look so scared, Fray, we'll give you at least one more warning." Jace winked, and she giggled. Alec laughed, which quickly turned into a yawn. Tessa glanced sideways at Alec.

"Don't fall over there." The girls giggled as he blushed, his face flushing warmly under the cafeteria lights. 

"Don't tease him, Tess, for he shall get his revenge ten foldeth." Will spoke in a terrible old impression, and everyone burst out in laughter. Alec cracked a smile, and everyone broke off into side conversations. 

Alec returned his attention to his lunch, but before he could take another bite, he felt eyes on him. He looked up in time to meet Magnus' eyes. Magnus simply smiled at him. He winked before turning and engaging in a conversation with Will and Jace.

Alec smiled slightly to himself before turning to his lunch, hoping no one had noticed. Too bad for him, Cat, Izzy, Clary, and Tessa were exchanging gleeful looks. 

* 

By the time Friday rolled around, Izzy and the girls hadn't managed to get quite as far in their plans as they would have liked. Actually, between preparing for this slowly building sleepover with everyone and homework, they hadn't gotten to work with getting Magnus and Alec closer.

However, they could always hope. For now, they were focused on getting themselves ready. Maryse had agreed to the small get together, as she knew her kids (or rather, Alec, at least) would have the house decent again by the time she got home in the morning. Izzy and Jace had both promised to give him space if it got to be too much and they all chipped in with their allowance to buy things for the get together so their mother didn't have to worry. 

A knock on the door had Izzy scrambling down the stairs. She breathed in deeply, opening the door and smiling radiantly. 

"Hello dearest friends! Please come in and make yourselves comfortable!" She chirped, leading them through to the living room to which was vacuumed and scrubbed.

"This place is fabulous, Iz! You didn't have to go such a trouble!" Tessa exclaimed, as she took their coats and threw them all onto a chair in the corner.

"Hello! Izzy, you need to tell us when people arrive." He scowled, and she laughed.

"ALEC! MOM! THEY'RE HERE!" She yelled, and they all laughed at the hurried footsteps on the stairwell.

Maryse walked in first, her hair flowing down her back with the front pinned to the sides. She was in a pair of nice pants and a ruffled top, complete with makeup. She was laughing at something Alec was saying, his hands waving around as he exclaimed about something. They stopped short when they noticed the full living room. Alec's hands fell to his sides and Maryse smiled kindly.

"Well, hello there. Sweethearts, are you going to introduce us?" She asked gently, and Izzy beamed. She walked over to Maryse, placing a hand on her arm.

"Mom, that's Magnus, Tessa, Will, Jem, Catarina, Ragnor, Raphael, Simon, and Clary. Everyone, this is our mother." Maryse smiled, placing her arm around Isabelle. 

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Lightwood." Magnus greeted, and she shook her head happily.

"Nonsense, dear, everyone here can call me Maryse." Magnus nodded at her and she turned to where Jace, Izzy, and Alec were waiting.

"Okay, have fun, be good, the alcohol better be where I left it-"

"Mom!" Izzy complained,

"And please, don't make your brother clean everything up! Love you!" She hugged Jace and Izzy, then kissed Alec on the cheek before she was out the door. 

Turning to her friends, Izzy smiled mischievously.

"What should we do first?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m SO so sorry for lack of updates. I was working on my living situation and I’m exhausted from work and trying to maintain my life but things have settled down and I’m super inspired to write right now so I think the next chapters should be within a reasonable distance and lengthy. I’m going to start the new chapter tonight.   
> Enjoy <3


	6. PLEASE Read

Sorry if you thought this was an update! I’m going to keep it nice and short.

I promise I haven’t abandoned story. As a fan fiction reader myself I know how frustrating it can be when your stories don’t update. However, life has been very difficult to manage, with work and school. I promise you I have the beginnings of an update in the works.

Second, I make mistakes some times. I miss things or things don’t add up. Please don’t be afraid to tell me because I promise I won’t be mad, I’m not a professional writer or anything.

All the love!


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